MLPTFF - Second Chance
by pen.charmer.13
Summary: Everything's changed since the 'untimely' death of Filigree Flyer, and Twilight is the most affected. Her now depressed state sparks a fire of determination in her number one assistant to turn the tables and right those wrongs. It seems, however, that this doesn't go all too well...
1. Chapter 1 - A Quest

**Chapter One: A Quest**

_Hey guys! I'm back at it again, and this time, this new fic is the direct follow-up sequel to First Love! This will be part 2 of a trilogy I've been looking forward to making, so I hope you like it! RRFFE!_

_"Dear Princess Celestia,_

_It's been only a week since Filigree's death and Twilight is already in a distraught state. Her demeanor has changed vastly since the sudden and unexpected death of the late prince Filigree Flyer. She has become more easily agitated, neurotic, and lethargic to an extent. I fear for her current condition, Princess, and I appeal to you for your aid._

_However, contrasting Twilight's current personality, none of my friends have been affected greatly by the prince's death. But as of now, it falls upon me to bring back the old Twilight that I used to know. Please reply soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Spike"_

* * *

With a sigh, he blows away a magical flame that flies off to Canterlot. With crossed fingers, Spike hopes that help will come soon.

"Twilight?" he said walking up to her room.

"Mm?" was the muffled reply from under a pillow.

"I'm going to go buy some eggs. Just, uh, stay here, okay?"

"Mm."

"I'll see you later," Spike says, closing the door and walking downstairs to the library. _Man, Twilight's getting worse and worse by the hour. I don't know what I'll do when this spirals out of control._

As he takes a deep breath, he walks out the library and looks around. Everything seems basically the same. Ponyville is still Ponyville, and nothing was going to change that. It was still pretty tranquil for all the town was, and he hoped that everything would turn out fine. Still, the contemplations of events that may come to pass in the near future were unavoidable, and most of all, scary. With a smile on his face, he tried to forget about it and set off for the marketplace with a light heart.

With a dozen of eggs in the basket among a few other veggies, he sets off for home. However, the moment he entered the library, his heart sank from the melancholy air of the place. It was dark and it was cold. To him, that didn't matter much; but the treehouse still had these strange feelings…thins he'd never felt before. The atmosphere was depressing, it was demoralizing, and it was saddening. He walked in to see Twilight still curled up in bed, without even an ounce of energy to get up and out of it. Soon enough, it began to rain, rendering the scene even more saddening. Spike knew this had to stop, but he didn't know how. He had done his best to keep the library clean, he'd do everything that Twilight would tell him to do, and he basically became the opposite of himself just to cheer up Twilight. It was hopeless.

"What am I gonna do?" he asked himself. Suddenly, he thought up an idea. "That's **it**!" he shouted. "I think I know exactly what to do!"

The next day, Twilight got up and out of her bed in what might seem like a miraculous act of Celestia. But when she passed by Spike's bed, she found out that he was long awake. Taking a glance at the clock, she noticed that it was only six in the morning. _That's strange_, she thought. _Spike would normally wake up at eight. Something seems to be up, but what could it be?_ Shrugging it off, she heads downstairs to find out that he had, in fact, left the library.

Where was Spike? He was now on his way to Zecora's hut, in hopes of finding a potion that might be able to fix everything.

"If a potion is what you need," Zecora said, "you must seek out the ingredients; this is what you must heed. Now, pray tell, what is your request? This will be in exchange for merely a short and easy quest."

"I wanted to use a potion to make me look like a pony; then I could dress up to look like Filigree and maybe cheer Twilight up," Spike explained. "I know this is really weird to ask of you, since I'm a dragon and all."

"No, no, not at all," Zecora assured him. "It is not a problem, for my potions are made for creatures great and small."

"So, what do I need?"

"As I already have a flask, the ingredients are your main task. Seek out a special flower, whose petals glow only at the darkest hour," the zebra said.

"But if it's 'at the darkest hour' like you said, wouldn't it come a little later?"

"I believe what you say is right, but I thought I might tell it to you in advance, for acquiring it will give you quite a fright. Nevertheless, your potion must be made. Look for a Pegasus feather – of the premium grade."

"You got it!" Spike said, before being handed a list of the ingredients.

"This should avoid any hassle, for your quest may take you from fortress to castle. Good luck, little dragon, I will see you soon; and hopefully this potion will be brewed before the sun reappears after the moon," Zecora said, bidding him farewell. Spike, with a newfound determination, begins his quest to brew the special potion.

* * *

Before going along on his way, he stops by the Carousel Boutique to meet with Rarity. Ah, Lady Rarity – beauty incarnate. With her silky mane of a regal purple hue, and a pristine fur whiter than snow, she was the most beautiful pony he'd ever seen beyond the shadow of a doubt. "Why, hello, Spike! What brings you here?" she asked him.

"I…I was just wondering if you could make something for me," the dragon stammered.

"Well, what is it, darling? I'll gladly make anything for you, my Spikey-wikey," she said endearingly. Her tone alone nearly made Spike faint with infatuation.

"I…I was thinking maybe you could make a simple jacket for me," he reluctantly said. "Pretty please?"

"Why, of course, Spike," she said. "I'll get right to work. Is it for a special occasion? Do you have a royal dinner in Canterlot? Or a meeting with the princess, perhaps?"

"Well, actually, this was for an adventure."

"An…an adventure?" she asked, her eye ticking. "I'm not sure if I could really make one, but…"

"You know," Spike then said, "it's okay if you won't make anything. I think I could handle it on my own."

"But Spike, you could–" she turned around, to see that he had already disappeared. Sighing, she returns to her bedroom.

In the meanwhile, Spike had already made up his mind to go into the Everfree Forest – with an impromptu set of "armor" taken from a Daring-Do costume, and a sword fashioned from a steel pipe, melted into a mold to shape like a sword. He daringly walks into the forest without any hint of fear, for he had a fire of unwavering determination that burned in him brighter than even his love for Rarity. He knew he had to help Twilight, and this was the only way to do it.

A few minutes later, he was deep inside the forest, and it seemed like there was no way out. However, this was hardly scary to our brave little Spike, and he simply reads the list of special ingredients. This led to a series of adventures that feels quite like a re-enactment of a Daring-Do book.

* * *

Now worn and weary, the sun began to go down, paving the way for the moon to shine down upon the town with its glow. In Ponyville, the lights went up; but when you're deep inside the Everfree Forest, you can't help but feel a chill go up your spine as eerie lights emanating from magical mushrooms began to light up the forest as well. It was a mystical sight, but also quite scary. It was at this hour that hostile, strange creatures would go out of hiding and begin to hunt. Whoever and whatever living thing that was there in the forest was far from safe. This was the Everfree Forest in its most dangerous time.

Spike, however, goes in courageously, without giving a second thought to a looming danger that lurked around him. He had already checked off most of the items on the list, and his hopes were raised as he was going to take off the very last item on the list – the midnight marigold.

This was the most elusive item on the entire list, for Zecora herself warned him that acquiring this plant will have him face many trials, with danger at every step. However, there was a legend of a small plot of these marigolds situated on a temple deep into the heart of the Everfree Forest. It was beyond the Tower of the Two Sisters, and it was down the cave to which the Mirror Pond resided. In there was a tunnel that would lead to his destination. First, he had to make a stop at the Tower, and hopefully get some rest. Spike had been walking for hour upon hour, with much success. But never in his life has he become _this_ exhausted. It was a challenge, indeed; but it was dedicated to a cause worth every second of his time, and every ounce of his effort.

At the tower, he had battled fog and mist to get to the top, where he looked out over the river that separated it from the forest. However, this was also the place where he was to face his first true trial.

"Ah, baby dragon…how nice of you to see me," an eerie voice called out to him.

"Who…who's there? Show yourself!" Spike demanded, his sword pointing at the fog. He takes a deep breath, then charges into the fog, swiping it here and there. After the tiring attack, he finds that the fog had been cleared – and a pony was standing right behind him.

"Hello," the pony said.

"Who are you? What are you doing here...Rarity?"

"Oh, Spike, how I'm glad to see you! I thought I'd follow you here to give you this," she said, holding up a little suit of armor made just for him. "This is for my little knight in shining armor. What do you think?" she asked, with batted eyelashes.

"Wait…how did you get here?" Spike asked suspiciously.

"I managed to follow you with my gem-finding magic. I thought I saw a moving diamond, so I decided to track it down. But lo and behold, it was only you."

_Wait a minute,_ Spike thought, _this must be a trick! I mean, how did she follow me without letting out a scream? And how could I not have noticed her while I was walking around the forest of hours? Also, how could she make a suit of armor when she makes dresses? This is bad – this is very, very bad._

"**Hey, that's my line!**" shouted an echoing voice from an ethereal plane.

"Rarity," Spike then said, "I'm sorry to do this to you, but here I go!" He let loose and threw his sword at Rarity, and with a scream, she burst into blue glinting sparks. Alas, it was merely a spirit – but it wasn't just any kind of spirit. It was the mean kind, the grudging kind. With a chill down his spine, Spike grabbed his sword and ran for the hills – er, forest. With bated breath, he manages to get out of the tower unharmed, and proceeds on his way to the Mirror Pond.

And soon enough, he does find his way there. Well, close enough, at least. "Oh no," Spike worried, "how am I supposed to get this huge rock out of the way? Big McIntosh put it here, and everyone in Ponyville knows that only he could take it out. But what if I stir commotion? Oh no…I have to think of something. Think, Spike, think!

What would Twilight do? No, she'd use her magic, and I don't have any! What about Rainbow Dash? Fast as she is, there's no way she could take this out! But wait! What would _Daring-Do_ do?" And then and there, he had an epiphany. "That's it!" he shouted, before immediately lowering his voice as he hears echoes of his voice ring throughout the forest.

Spike knew he will never be as smart as Twilight, or as fast as Rainbow Dash, or as strong as Big Mac. But he knew that he could be like Daring-do, and that's what he did. Making an impromptu pickaxe, he begins to chip away at the massive stone. But alas, its size was unbelievable. Nevertheless, he whacked away, finally boring a hole into the rock. He manages to walk down into the Mirror Pond and look around. The lights emanated from glowing mushrooms like the forest, although this time, it was so bright that you could say it was morning. He tried his best not to look at the pond, and made his way 'round it to face another giant rock. It was circular, which meant that it was used to block out something. "This must be it," he said, before beginning to whack away yet again.

Finally making it to another cave, he spotted his most valuable quest item – the Midnight Marigold. There was quite a large plot of ground with them growing on, and he spared no time in picking them. It was a mission accomplished, until he accidentally tripped over a rock, which was holding down a vine that led to a series of pulleys, which were holding an even larger stone that dropped and launched a catapult that cracked a wall of the cave. As he observed the chain reaction, he then heard rumbling noises. "What…what was that?" he asked himself. Just then, the crack in the wall broke open and let loose a torrent of water that prompted him to skedaddle on out of the cave. With panicked screams and yells, he ultimately was caught by the flood and got blasted out of the entrance of the Mirror Pond. He was sent flying over the skies of Ponyville…until somehow he landed right in the middle of Zecora's cauldron. With a smile, his entire diminutive stature began to turn red as the heat of the boiling cauldron got to him. With another scream, he blasted straight up and out of the hut, and landed again inside, boring another hole in Zecora's roof.

"Mission…accomplished," he said before dropping to the floor, exhausted. Zecora's reaction was nothing but a smile and a chuckle as she took the ingredients from Spike's bag.

"You have done well, little Spike; now you may rest here for as long as you like," she said before concocting a special potion that was going to fix _everything_…for the most part.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Look in the Mirror

**Chapter Two: A Look in the Mirror**

_After falling unconscious the last time we saw our friend Spike, he had been taken under Zecora's care while the potions brews. About an hour passes and the process is now complete._

"Well, Spike, how do you feel? The potion worked wonders; now you must see it for real." Zecora held a mirror up to Spike's face, and he found that he was no dragon no more.

"Holy guacamole! I'm a pony!" he shouted in glee. "Oh thank you, thank you Zecora!"

"There is no need to thank me, little one," Zecora said, "for indeed it is you who had all the work done."

With another thank-you, Spike now departs from the hut, admiring his new form. _Looking good, Spike, looking good._ Heading back to the library, he notices that some ponies have been looking at him weirdly. As he was a pony, it came to him as not much of a surprise, so he trots on to the treehouse.

Twilight was busy reading a book when she heard a knock on the door. "Spike, could you get it for me?" she asked. "Oh wait, Spike isn't here." Luckily her pet Owlowiscious was there to open the door for her as she was walking down, and her eyes beheld a tall, imposing figure with a deep emerald mane and fur of a faded lavender. "Hello there. I haven't seen you before. Are you new in Ponyville?" she asked.

"Twilight, it's me, Spike!" he said.

"Spike? How do you know Spike?"

"I _am_ Spike, Twilight! Come on, don't you see?"

"Really? You don't look like Spike to me. He's a baby dragon. Well anyway, welcome to the Golden Oak Library!"

With a groan, he entered the library, quite frustrated as Twilight failed to recognize him. "So, you look like you're looking for a book," she said. "Judging from your appearance, I think you'd like this," she suggested, holding out a Daring-Do novel. "This is the latest one in the series, and you're quite lucky that you're the first to get it. Would you like a copy?"

Spike was silent for a moment. He was unsure of the outcomes that might play out if he tried to make his point to Twilight. No one recognized him, and no one would probably believe him. So, Spike decided to play along. "Oh, the new Daring Do? Oh, I would love to! I've read every book in the series, and I wouldn't want to miss the latest one."

"Here you go," she said. "But wait, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, my name?" he said. "My name's…uh…Skip," he stammered.

"Skip, huh? Okay, drop by the library if you're looking for another book next time. I'll see you around," she said.

"Okay, thanks. Goodbye, Twilight," he said. Trying to play around, he walked on to the Carousel Boutique to get a second opinion if anypony could really recognize him.

"Why, hello!" Rarity said, her eyes glinting at the sight of Spike. "Oh, what a dashing figure! You must be new here, no?"

"Yeah, my name's Skip," he replied with a smile.

"Well, you certainly look like you need something to wear. And I believe I have just the thing," she said, leading him to the dressing room by the hoof. "You need something bold. Something dashing. And most of all, something that will make you stand out!" She rummages through her massive walk-in closet – or rather, a showroom of all of her dresses and suits – and finds a new suit. However, as it turned out, Skip was of a figure larger than any suit she'd ever fashioned. He was of a lighter, leaner build than Big McIntosh, but he was tall and imposing. His stature prompted her to hurriedly create a suit custom-made to fit his figure.

As the unicorn dashed about here and there, Spike thought to himself, _Oh, so that's why everyone was looking at me so weirdly. Am I really that tall?_ Soon enough, the suit was made – clad in jet-black and looked absolutely stunning. "Forgive me for taking quite a while, but it seems my suits couldn't fit you. So here, I used the finest materials I had on-hand and made this suit for your…height," she explained.

"Well, it looks really good," Skip said, admiring his new look. "Um, did you say 'finest materials?'" he then asked worriedly.

"Yes, I use the best and only the best materials for all of my dresses and suits. It must always be of premium quality – the fabrics must be durable and beautiful. This suits you perfectly!" she exclaimed.

_So, of a premium-grade, huh?_ Skip muttered. _Damn, this'd probably cost well over 500 bits._ "I hate to burst your bubble, Miss Rarity, but…um…how much is it?" he asked shyly.

"Only 1000 bits," she said, making Skip's jaw drop to the floor from his already tall height and the platform he was standing on. After about half a minute, she then began to laugh. "Oh, Skip, you do know that I'm only joking, right?"

"Um, actually…I don't."

"I always use only the finest grade of materials, but you see, you have a little brooch made of only the finest diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires that I've collected," she said, pointing to his coat pocket. Taking a glance at it made Skip's mouth water. After all, he _was_ still the baby dragon we all know – though in a pony's body.

"That will be _ten thousand bits_," she said before seeing Skip fall to the floor in a daze. A couple of seconds after that, she burst out laughing. "No, really, only five hundred bits, and not a penny more."

"F-f-five…hundred?" Skip muttered. _Where in Equestria will I get that?_ _I'll have to rob a bank if I would get that much…_

"Yes, only five hundred bits. Is it too expensive?" she asked. "Premium materials, my darling, only the finest silk and leather in all of Equestria. But considering you're from _Canterlot_, I would assume you would expect the suits to be of a high quality. That is, unless you're a poor, homeless pony with nowhere else to go."

"C-Canterlot? How did you know I was from Canterlot?" Skip asked her. _No…does that mean…_ "You know who I am, right Rarity?"

"Why of course, my Spikey-wikey! Did you really have to play along to try and fool me? I don't think so. That and your purple fur and green mane give you away quite easily. Also, I saw you drooling over the brooch you had on your suit," she said, cementing the affirmative answer.

* * *

A few minutes later, Skip – er, Spike – explained his story to Rarity on her red couch that she seems to take nearly everywhere. "Oh, so you want to become a pony to dress up as Filigree to cheer up Twilight, am I right?" she asked, trying to recall his story.

"In a nutshell, yes," he replied.

"But why is it that you look so…tall…and _handsome_?" she said, eyelashes batting.

"I…I do?" Spike winced, trying to hide the red on his cheeks.

"Yes, you most certainly do, even more than that annoying son of a mule at the Grand Galloping Gala," she said. "And I will _not_ allow anypony to get closer to you than I do now. Is that clear?" she asked with an imposing tone.

"Crystal-clear, Lady Rarity," he said, bowing down in front of her, and kissing her hoof. It seems love was in the air – or in the Carousel Boutique's air, at least – as the two ponies stare deep into each other's eyes, hearts floating about them. Suddenly their romantic scene was cut short by a ring on the doorbell.

Rarity rushes to the door, and finds Fluttershy greeting her. "Hello Fluttershy. How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing quite fine, thank you," she replied. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, of course not! In fact, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine here. Skip, do you mind coming down for a while?"

"No problem," Spike said, walking down to meet Fluttershy. As he approached the Pegasus, Spike saw that Fluttershy looks much, much shorter than she was before. Normally he'd look up at them, but now he's looking _down_. Fluttershy, being Fluttershy, shrank down to the floor like melted ice cream and cowered at his intimidating height.

"Well, Fluttershy?"

"Um, hello," she said shyly. "My name's Fluttershy."

"My name's Skip," Spike replied, stooping down to her side. "It's nice to meet you."

As she tilted her head upward to see his face, she began to warm up to him as she looked into his gentle eyes. "It's nice to meet you too," she said, now more comfortable around him.

"Well, then," Rarity said, "was there something you were going to tell me, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot," she replied. "I was going to tell you about Rainbow Dash's flying session at the lake. Would you like to come see? If you're busy, though, I could tell her myself."

"Why, what a great idea! Let's go together. What do you say, Skip?" she said glancing at Spike.

"Don't mind if I do," he smiled.

Down at the lake, the three ponies witnessed a spectacular stream of a full spectrum of colors streaming about in the air gracefully like a ballet dance. It was quite a spectacle, and they sat down by the lake. Soon enough, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Twilight got there and set up a small picnic. "Well, if it isn't Rarity," Applejack said, waving a hoof at the group on the other side of the lake. "Come on over and have a little snack!"

The group now reconvenes and watches Rainbow Dash in awe. _Oohs _and _Ahhs_ filled the air as the Pegasus in blue zipped and zoomed around in the sky, making loops and helter-skelters as she did. It was a wonderful show, and by the time she finished, Rainbow Dash was greeted with remarks of praise and awe. "Aw, geez, thanks a lot for coming, you guys. I never thought you'd all be here to see me."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Rarity said. "Your flying sessions never fail to please."

"Me neither," Applejack added. "Plus, it gives me an opportunity to let y'all have some apple fritters and some apple pie." With that, everypony chowed down, and had a good time. Pinkie Pie distorted reality once again and like always, puts up a party at that very location. In within a few seconds, balloons and other decorations were placed strategically around the picnic mat to help hold it down, courtesy of her possibly magical party cannon.

"Hey," Twilight then said, starting a new conversation. "Rarity, would you mind introducing us to your friend here?"

"Oh, why of course not! But, don't you all already know him?"

"Actually…we don't," Twilight replied, echoing a similar quote made by her number one assistant a little while earlier at the boutique.

"Well, he's Spike, obviously!" she said, yanking the cat out of the bag and throwing it at each of the other ponies' faces. Spike's face was instantly distraught as he didn't want Twilight to know who he really was. After all, he had other plans in mind, and that certainly required keeping his true self a secret.

"Oh wait, weren't you the new pony that borrowed the new Daring-Do from the library a couple of hours ago? Your name was Skip, wasn't it?" Twilight interrupted, now coming to a realization. Even if a friend had already told her who he really was, she didn't believe it at all. Quite a hard-skulled unicorn, isn't she?

"Yeah, my name's Skip, not Spike. Right Rarity?"

"Oh yes, his name is Skip. Do forgive me for the mix-up. It seems that their names could be easily confused for each other," she said shyly.

"Wait, _you_ have the new Daring-Do?" Rainbow Dash cried. "Aw man, you're so lucky! Could you give it to me when you're done with it? Pretty please?"

"Sure, no problem," Spike replied simply, taking out the book. "Here, you could have it. I haven't gotten around to reading it yet since I went to buy some stuff."

"Wow, thanks a bunch!" Dash said, taking the book, and dashing off to read it under a tree. In the meanwhile, there was an air of suspicion surrounding Applejack and Pinkie Pie, but they both casually brushed it off and pretend that they didn't have any speculations. Soon enough, nightfall came, and it was time for them to pack up and move along on home, bidding each other farewell.

As Rarity trotted back to her home at the Carousel Boutique, she noticed that Spike was still following her. "Skip? Don't you live over at the library?"

"Rarity, Twilight doesn't know and she still wouldn't believe that I'm Spike! Now I've no place to go," he sulked.

"Well, you could sleep at my place," Rarity offered.

"No, Miss Rarity; I simply cannot," he replied regally.

"So you reject my offer?"

"No, it's just that…I don't want to be a bother to you or anything."

"Bother smother! What is that to me? I have quite enough room to have you take lodging in my home for quite some time. I will not take 'no' for an answer," she said with a serious tone to her voice.

"I guess I'll comply, but it is _really_ okay with you?" Spike asked.

"It's perfectly fine; besides, I cleaned up a room earlier this morning since I didn't have much to do today. Very well then, come along; don't dilly-dally," she said, hastily trotting home. Spike reluctantly follows, but gets ahead quite easily has each step was almost a stride for the seamstress. She almost couldn't keep up without galloping at this rate, so Spike slowed his pace and followed behind her.

* * *

That night, Spike was panicking as he tried to send a letter to the princess, but as he was not a dragon anymore, he wasn't able to blow it away. At that moment, midnight struck; and a radical change occurred in him. Green flames began to engulf him as a horn grew out of his head. With his newfound power, he then tried to huff and puff as he did earlier, but to no avail.

"Think, Spike, think," he said to himself. "What would Twilight do? That's it! Visualize what you want to happen, and make it happen! Okay, here I go." As a green light emanated from his horn, he began to think of a scroll bursting into flames. Then and there it was hit with a stream of flame, and off it went to the princess in Canterlot. With a relieved sigh, he finally goes to bed, dreaming happy dreams.

Meanwhile, a distraught Twilight Sparkle worries for Spike as she hasn't heard from him for nearly two days. She even thought he might have left for Canterlot. She laments over her insolence while Owlowiscious tries to comfort her. But gone was her number one assistant – at least to her, that's for sure. Little did she know that her assistant was right under her nose, and she continually sulks over a letter unsent.


	3. Chapter 3 - It's a New Dawn

_**Chapter Three: It's a New Dawn**_

* * *

_Morning has arrived and it is time for the big plan to be executed. Spike got up much, much earlier than Rarity and made breakfast for the both of them. It's just like every other morning, really, but Rarity's room is somehow a mess. She had slept little last night, and she woke up quite late. Nevertheless, everything was ready._

"Are you really sure about this?" Rarity asked.

"Always," Spike replied. "I wouldn't go out of my way to turn myself into a pony if it weren't for a cause like this. It's the only way to at least make Twilight feel better."

"But Spike, didn't you see her yesterday? She looked quite fine to me."

"I know that, but I managed to go back into the library and check on Twilight. Somehow, Owlowiscious actually recognized me and let me in."

"It seems you two have been getting along well, yes?"

"I can't really say for sure, but if you put it that way, then yes."

"Well then, you're all set. Have a look in the mirror," she said as she turned a mirror to face him. He looked like Filigree alright – long, silky, black mane, midnight blue fur, and piercing red eyes that seemed to stare deep into anypony's soul. "What do you think?"

"It looks perfect. Thanks so much, Rarity," he said, stooping down to kiss her. How he mustered up the courage to do that is beyond me, but what I can say is that our seamstress swooned at his affectionate gesture. Is he really that handsome? I don't think so, but if Rarity thinks so, then I guess I'll have to comply too. What do you think?

Now, back to our two unicorns. They're getting much, much closer to each other than ever before, and why Rarity would accept him as more than just a friend is still beyond Spike. On the contrary, he doesn't seem to mind; even to the point of taking the plunge and reaping the rewards of his night-long adventure through the Everfree Forest two days before. Still, his main objective is at hand, and Spike has cemented his motivation to fulfill it.

_You got this, Spike; you got this. Besides, it's inly Twilight, right? But wait, I'm supposed to be Filigree,_ he thought to himself as he approached the library. Just as he was about to ring the doorbell, Twilight was about to leave the library for a quick walk when the two made eye contact. "It's…it's you. What are you doing here?"

"Look, Twilight, we need to talk." Twilight tries to swerve past him, but he blocks her with a hoof. "Please, Twilight, you have to listen to me."

"No, Filigree. You've hurt me too much. You've taken so much out of my life that even Spike's nowhere to be found. And it's all because of _you_."

With a warping spell, she goes past Skip and proceeds to go along on her way. Skip gives chase with a light trot, and manages to catch up with an already-galloping Twilight. Frustrated and agitated with how much she'd lost, she runs faster and faster. The chase finally ends at the lake where Skip surrounds her with a wall of green flame. "What do want from me, Filigree?!" she says, trying to use her magic to cast away the flames. That…didn't turn out so well. After a few minutes of struggle, she gives up and sits on the ground. Suddenly she hears a splash in the lake, and somepony emerging. The flames die down, and Twilight sees paint and makeup melt away to reveal Skip.

"Skip? What are you trying to do to me?"

"For the _last_ time, Twilight, I'm _Spike_! You're supposed to be a genius, right? Where is it now?" he complained furiously.

"Spike? So you…Skip…_how?_"

"See, this is why I wanted to talk to you, Twilight," he said, hanging his head. "Can we go home now?"

"Sure," she replied with a smile. "You could fill me in on the way."

* * *

"So, you see, I just wanted to do this all for you," Spike said. "I thought I could cheer you up, but that didn't turn out so well.

Look, I'm really sorry for leaving, Twilight. I guess this was the only way," he concluded as he hung his head.

"I forgive you, Spike," Twilight replied. "But I have a question – did you ask Zecora if the potion will wear off?"

"Actually, no," was the answer. "Besides, I don't plan to change back anytime soon."

And so, Spike is finally able to return home to the library. He was quickly introduced to the rest of the group as the new Spike the next morning. Everything seemed to be going well, as Spike adjusts to his new life as a pony. He's landed a job at the Carousel Boutique as Rarity's assistant, much to his delight. He's still living in the Golden Oaks Library for now, but Spike plans to move out as soon as he has saved up the money to settle in a new home. Twilight and Spike are gradually becoming further and further apart…albeit physically. The bond between the unicorn and the baby dragon – er, I mean, fellow unicorn – will forever be inseparable, and this is how it will be.

Of course, that doesn't mean our story's gonna end right here. Our mane six is getting used to the new Spike, and he, too, has adjusted to his new physical form. Twilight has observed that he acts much more maturely than she had expected, and his tone of voice changed almost overnight. This she had reported in a letter sent to the Princess:

_"Dear Princess Celestia,_

_I am happy to report that I have learned another lesson on friendship. I have learned that each pony has her own perspective, and that friends will try their best to fix things from what they've seen from their own perspectives. For a month I have been deeply affected by the passing of a friend of mine – the late prince Filigree Flyer. I felt depressed at the thought of losing a friend forever, and I haven't done anything productive for that period of time. Spike did his best to try and solve the problem that I had at first, but to no avail. Then one day, he suddenly disappeared._

_I did my best to search for him, but there was no sign of him left. I thought I had lost him too after how I had been acting lately, and so I decided to forget about Filigree and begin anew. It was only then when I got a knock on the door from a pony whom I thought was Filigree himself._

_I tried my best to avoid him, but he always seemed to catch up. I then found myself trapped inside a ring of flames when he chased me down to the lake. I was wondering what he would do to me, until the flames died down and I saw a pony whom I only met earlier that morning. He told me that he was Spike at first, but I couldn't believe him. It was only then that I finally realized my mistake._

_As we returned to the library, he explained the efforts he had made to try and make things right. He saw that I had been feeling depressed and he wanted me to feel better by posing as Filigree. Of course, I managed to solve the problem on my own, but I learned that friends do go to great lengths to help a friend in need. I had been seeing things differently from my perspective than what he saw from his, and it was there I learned my lesson. I had been so depressed that I didn't pay any attention to what I should have been doing, and he saw it as a problem. This goes to show that friends help each other, no matter how difficult it may be, and that one would have to make sacrifices in order to make things so._

_Your student,_

_Twilight Sparkle."_

As Spike blows the scroll away to Canterlot, the two fall back onto Twilight's star-spangled banner bed. "Spike?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah?"

"I think we're going to need a bigger bed," she laughs.

* * *

A fortnight comes to pass after that day, and Twilight wakes up with a gleeful start. "Oh Spike~!" she calls out. But the smile on her face turns upside-down when she finds that he already left. Rushing out to the town square, she finds him walking about the streets with a couple of checkbook-holding, glasses-donning ponies – or in other words, real estate agents.

"So, what do you think about this one?" one agent said as they observed the house. "It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, so it wouldn't be much of a hassle. Plus, the living room is really open and spacious, so you could have friends over every so often."

"Well, all I can say is, it's _incredible_! I never thought great houses like these could be out in the suburbs."

"The city real estates is a lot more expensive as you are close to the larger business areas," the other agent explains. "Since those business areas aren't as accessible here, it's a great place to put up larger houses."

"Hey, Spike," Twilight then says. "So…looking for a house, huh?"

"Yeah," Spike gleefully replies. "What do you think of this?"

"Wow, it looks great. By the way, I just happened to have a blueprint of a house that you might like," she says as she takes out a scroll. The agents and Spike gather round to read the construction plans. And much to Twilight's expectations, all three ponies praise the remarkable layout. It seems as if the entire house is simply perfect.

"This is just a blueprint, right?" Spike then frowns.

"Yes, but if you agree to have it built, I'll have it built for you," she says. "What do you say?" Spike turns to his agents at his side, who glance at each other, then glance back at Spike and nod. Spike, however, has a pensive look about him. Uncertainty clouds his mind as he weighs the consequences. Ultimately, he accepts Twilight's generous offer and seals the deal. It was settled – a house was going to be built upon a plot of land that Twilight secured near the library. It seemed to be a part of a diabolical plan that is now beginning to unfold. What could it be?


	4. Chapter 4 - This Is War

_**Chapter Four: This Is War**_

* * *

_Picking up right where we left off, construction on the new house begins. Since there isn't much to report during that time, I guess I'll just skip that and continue from the completion of the building. Our little – er, big – Spike's love interest Rarity comes to visit and check out Spike's new digs._

"Spike~! It's me, Rarity!" she calls out as she rings the doorbell.

"Oh hey Rarity," Twilight says, answering the door. "I was just helping Spike move in to the new home. Come on in."

"Why, thank you, darling. I heard that you made these blueprints yourself. Is it true? Because your work is simply fabulous. I can't see anything wrong with it at all."

"Well, I guess I had a part in it," Twilight says modestly. The two take a seat while they have a chat over the past weeks' events.

"How is Spike doing?"

"He's doing just fine," Twilight replies. "He's still having trouble doing some things as he's no longer a dragon, but so far, he's pretty happy with how he is. I assumed that now that he'd fixed the 'problem' I had about a month ago, he would want to change back – I guess I was wrong."

"Well, of course he wouldn't want to change back. I mean, he could do things that he wasn't able to do so long ago. Plus, he doesn't need to look up at us whenever we talk to him anymore…although he would have to be looking _down_ at us now," she chuckles.

"I don't know, Rarity," Twilight says with a worried tone. "Spike is still a dragon, after all. He might find that maybe being a dragon is more fitting for him."

"Well, if that happens, we're sure to find out."

"Hey Twilight. I heard somepony knock at the door," he said before bearing witness to the mesmerizing beauty that is Rarity. For quite some time he stands there, until Twilight snaps him out of his trance.

"Spike, do you have a problem, or did you just fall in love with Rarity like when we first arrived?"

"No, it's just…that _black diamond_," he mutters, his eyes actually fixated upon the black diamond pendant that Rarity was wearing. It is lodged securely in a hoof-crafted laurel wreath of pure platinum, and the necklace is essentially a braided thread of white gold wire that showcased the pendant nicely. It is the pendant to rule all pendants – and to any dragon, it is the tastiest treat in history. One dragon would probably want to go back in time over and over again to simply have another taste of what dragons consider ambrosia. However, Spike's conscience snaps at him, which brings him back to his senses. Luckily, he didn't drool over the pendant and cause an embarrassing situation for him. _You're a __**pony**__, Spike. You're a pony,_ he thinks to himself.

"The what?" Twilight asks, not quit hearing his answer.

"It's…Rarity is just so…_beautiful…_"

"You say that all the time," Twilight chuckles. Rarity stands up to inch close to this tall, gallant pony before her. I think I've said this one too many times, but love is in the air, and Twilight knows it. She tries to hold down her disgust and breaks the moment. "Well then," she said, "I guess there's a little more work to be done since Spike here needs to get his other stuff in. I think you should leave now, Rarity."

"Oh, well, I don't supposed you wouldn't mind if I stand over there, would you?"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind, but–"

***crash***

A piano falls out of the sky and lands inside the house, punching a large hole in the roof. Twilight quickly brushes off the unicorn and warns her of any other falling furniture. Rarity couldn't help but comply with her request, and trots along home. However, as she looks back at the new house, she notices several pieces of furniture already floating above the house, each being levitated by a purple aura. Her suspicion is heightened as she goes on her way.

Inside Twilight rams Spike up a wall, yelling, "Would you _stop_ already?"

"Stop what?"

"Y-you know…you and Rarity! You two are really getting on my nerves! Ugh, you remind me of Cheerilee and Big McIntosh on Hearts and Hooves Day…"

"Why do you want me to stop? Why are you trying to keep me from fulfilling my dream?"

"Because…because I don't want them to be dashed!"

"But that's exactly what you're trying to do, Twilight!" he yells, forcing Twilight to take a step back. "Look," he sighs, "I get why you want me to stop. I know you want me to change back and pretend this never happened. But it already did, Twilight; there's nothing even Starswirl the Bearded could do about it." Taking a deep breath, Twilight then summons a gust of wind that made her hair look like Rarity's. Spike looks on in astonishment as Twilight then disappears. As he stands there with a dropped jaw, Spike comes to a realization. Twilight didn't want Spike _back_; she wanted _him_.

* * *

"H-how did you find me?" Twilight stammers as Spike sits down beside her upon the town hall roof. Twilight undid Rarity's hairdo, and let her hair flow down as she hangs her head.

"Twilight," Spike says.

"I'm so sorry," she whimpers. "I should've just told you. I just…I didn't know what to do. I thought that feeling would be gone with Filigree, but it just came back to…to _haunt_ me. Why are you doing this to me, Spike? Why?"

Spike thinks for a bit, then replies. "I don't know, Twilight. It just _comes_. You may have learned a lot about friendship and magic, but love is a totally different thing. There aren't any known facts. There aren't any constants or numbers or equations. It's kinda like Pinkie Sense – it just _is_."

"How do you know so much about it, Spike?"

"I guess it's because of Rarity," he replies humbly. Putting his arm over her shoulder, he says, "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I got too carried away with Rarity that I didn't pay much attention to what I was supposed to do. I think what some ponies say is true – love does make you crazy."

"I forgive you," she says, glancing up at him.

Into each other's eyes they stare, in the world they had no care. Soon enough, their faces inch closer and closer, each of their lips beginning to pucker. Finally, they meet with a romantic kiss, without even a second thought of anything going amiss.

However, someplace not too far away, a distraught Rarity spots an agitating display. Spike and Twilight share a moment of romance, of which this unicorn took a glance. She is infuriated, and she is angered. It is unacceptable, it is unbelievable. Knowing that her anger will take her a tad too far, she mutters with a fiery rage: _This. Is. War._

* * *

**A/N:** I see a love triangle coming on; and as always, you do too. The romantic poem is killing me, and I couldn't breathe well as I write this. It just has the right amount of cheese…

Anyway, I am really, really sorry for the long break I've been having. I was too busy to write anything the past days, and this is all I mustered up over the course of two days. I hope you enjoy it, because more will be coming soon!


	5. Chapter 5 - Forgive and Forget

_**Chapter Five: Forgive and Forget**_

**A/N:** As of chapter four you may have noticed that most of the chapter has a more uniform tense. Well, I'm trying to adjust my writing to fit in with that.  
With that cleared up, I would also like to clarify that this fic, along with First Love, was kinda designed to be more of an anthro fic. I also decided to change it up a bit starting with this chapter by adding a little more contemporary technology. I hope you enjoy this chapter. RRFFE!

* * *

Twilight and Spike wake up together with a start as they hear a loud banging at the door. They debate over who is going to open the door, which ends in Spike getting the door. He is greeted with a powerful kick to the forehead which sends him flying across the room. Twilight dashes down to see a hurt Spike being confronted by a familiar white unicorn. "Rarity! Why are you doing that to him?!"

"**You!**" she yells, sending a barrage of scissors flying at her. With a ninja-like reflex, Twilight puts up a barrier and deflects the projectiles. Rarity then turns to Spike, holding a spool of ribbons in her hoof. With her magic she lifts Spike up into the air and twirls him about as she wraps him with the ribbons like a spider trapping its prey. Her expression was cold, ruthless, and unwavering. Twilight, however, was able to knock her unconscious and free Spike of his 'cocoon' of 'web.'

"What is _wrong_ with you, Rarity? Are you crazy?" Twilight asks, cutting the ribbons.

"_Yes! Exactly!"_ She says, laughing maniacally.

"But…why?"

"Because Spike is _mine!_ Nopony will have him – not even you. He is my precious," she says, trying to swipe him away from Twilight.

_No…not again, _Twilight mutters. _Don't tell me she's gone nuts like when she found…Tom. Do I have to cast the memory spell on her, or is this something else?_ She weighs the consequences, and proceeds to perform the former. The casting was successful; however, it was different as she'd thought. This needed no memory spell, this needed no magic nor science – this was _love_.

Rarity notices Twilight's sudden act of surrender, and the Alicorn withdraws to formulate another plan. Spike, now undone of the ribbons that bound him, finds himself standing between two ponies – one of purple, the other of white. "Rarity, please," Spike pleads, walking to Twilight's side. "This has to stop."

"Don't you know how much I've sacrificed, Spike? I love you, and I will love you for as long as I live. But this – you're just going to leave me, just like that? Do you think you could brush me off that easily?"

"I'm not trying to–"

"Oh, don't even try to apologize! All you've said to me so long ago…all of them were lies, were they not? I believe that this is where we part ways, Spike. And Twilight – please do avoid making a scene with Spike when I'm around," she says before leaving with a shattered heart. Never before has she been this devastated in her life. This is genuine heartbreak, not the kind of little trifles that she would often exaggerate about.

"Rarity, please! Hear me out!" Spike says, panting.

"Get away from me! I can't stand you anymore!" Rarity cries, pushing him off.

"But please, you have to listen to me!"

"How could you betray me like this, Spike? I thought you loved me! I thought you were the only dragon in the whole of Equestria that actually loves a mare like me!"

"But I do, Rarity!"

"Then what happened on the town hall roof last night?!" Spike staggers and takes a step back.

"Look Rarity, you're taking this the wrong way. Twilight is my friend, and my friend only. Neither of us wanted to go further than that. I…I tried to comfort her, but that seemed to be the only way. Please, you have to listen to me," Spike begs. "I know what I did. I'm no egghead like Twilight, and I was too dumb to realize that what I did was wrong that night. Please forgive me Rarity; I never wanted this to happen."

With a hung head, Spike lets go of Rarity and hangs his head. Tears drop to the ground as he began to turn and walk away. He withdraws from what became his final advances with a defeated, forlorn spirit. _And it's all because of that mistake, that one stupid decision_, he says to himself.

He tries to reassure himself with the thought of having Twilight to help him out as he heads back to his house. Besides, the next decision is already floating about in his head. Maybe Twilight could guide him. He thinks about changing back to a little baby dragon and forget everything. It's the only logical choice.

However, Rarity still stood there as the dragon-turned-pony walks away. Both of them had made a mistake, and she knew it. It was only a matter of time before a rift will have been made. Already her imagination thrusts her into what might seem like a scene made for a movie intro. The earth splits in two, the gap widening as the distance between Rarity and Spike increases. The crevice descends down deeper and deeper, into the abyss, before being flooded with a river of the tears of their sorrow. It was undeniably cheesy, and Rarity knew it. She knew that she wouldn't let that happen – she simply couldn't.

"Spike!" she calls out, stopping the unicorn dead in his tracks. However, he fails to turn around and so Rarity decides to take action. She runs after him at full speed, and just as Spike finally turns around to look back at her he is tackled to the ground. "I made a mistake, too, Spike," she says, tears forming in her eyes. "Will you forgive me?"

"When was there a time when I _didn't_ forgive you, Rarity," Spike replies, and our little chapter ends on a positive note as they kiss. From afar Twilight smiles at them with a rather relieved sigh. Everything seems to be going back to normal, but there's more to it than that. Stay tuned for the next chapter of The Triangle!

* * *

**A/N** (again):

I'm sorry for posting all of these chapters so late. It's just that I've been working on these without even publishing them yet. Well, I hope the wait was worth it to you guys, because I _will_ finish what I started.


	6. Chapter 6 - Last Goodbye

_**Chapter Six: Last Goodbye**_

**A/N:** My lethargy has been taken to the extreme, and nothing in the life of me could stop it as of now. Forgive me for writing such short chapters over such a long period, as I've been getting more engaged in my piano playing and drawing. Also, I've been pressured to make my tenses more consistent, which is really cutting down on my WPS as I have to think out every sentence before it comes onto the screen. I think I should go back to my old ways and hopefully write longer chapters than this one.

* * *

A new day has begun…and not because Celine Dion's song said so. Things are finally starting to go back to normal after Rarity and Spike kissed and made up – literally. Now we find the couple and Twilight having a snack at the local café, where a somewhat vague fight is brewing. It seems things won't be as normal as they used to be anymore.

"Good afternoon," said a waiter. "May I take your order?"

"Yes, please do," Spike replied. "Rarity, I'll let you go first."

"Why, thank you, Spike. I'd like to have a banana split – with the cherry on top, as always."

"I'd like to have a cappuccino," Twilight said simply.

"Make that two cappuccinos," Spike added, "and I'd like mine to be a double shot."

"Okay, thank you," the waiter said, heading back to the kitchen. As he left, Rarity subtly glared at Twilight, who brushed it off with a smirk. As they waited, an eerie-looming silence fell upon them as the two mares exchanged looks while Spike had no idea what to do. When their orders came, Twilight brushed Rarity off and started gazing upon Spike's rather pensive expression. The unicorn was enraged at her sarcastic gesture, that by an instantaneous reflex she stepped upon Twilight's hoof.

"Are you okay, Twi?" Spike asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Spike; I think I just hit the table," she lied, concealing the true reason which was sitting right next to her. For months both of the mares had been trying to draw Spike's attention to them, but to no avail; Spike had been so engaged with his new life that he didn't think much about either of the two mares. Still, Rarity and Twilight have been keeping their fights vague, and only now did the pensive Spike take notice.

"Girls, do you mind if I ask you a question?" he then says as they began to leave the café.

"Sure, why not?"

"Why do you two keep fighting?"

The question surprised them. Never before had they thought that Spike actually took notice of their battles for supremacy at each and every get-together. Besides, they agreed to keep it as vague as possible. Could it be that Spike already knew?

"Uh, is anypony going to answer?" Spike says comically.

"Well, uh, you see, we–"

"We'll explain later," Twilight says. "At the house, I mean."

* * *

"We were fighting over you, Spike," Twilight cuts in, ending Rarity's nervous stammering. "I know, we've been acting like mules the past months, but I guess it's time that we tell you about it now."

"You see, Twilight and I…we've been…infatuated with you for a while now, but somehow you didn't really make a choice as to whom you would pick from either of us," Rarity explains shyly.

"We've been acting like fillies fighting over a toy, and we're sorry for that. It's just that…we just wanted you to decide," Twilight adds.

As they explained the situation, Spike was deep in thought. When they concluded, he began to speak. "Look, girls, I didn't want any of this to happen between you two. I mean, above all, we're friends, right? There's no need to fight over something as petty as that. Besides, I've already decided."

"You **did?! **Who did you pick?" the two asked hastily.

"Whoa now, don't get too excited, really. I mean, I know you wouldn't like this anyway…you see, I've decided not to decide."

With the two mares' jaws dropped, he continues, "I know, it's kinda crazy for me to say that, but that was what I meant to say. I don't want to decide – not right now, not ever. The reason for this is because I don't want to tear apart our relationships. If I pick either of you, the other would break down. It's only logical for me to not decide and hopefully return things back to normal.

I also have something I'd like to tell you girls," he says. "I planned to leave town for a while."

Putting her jaw back into place, Twilight asks, "Why, Spike? Why would you leave us all of a sudden?"

"Look, Twi, I've planned this for months now. I made all of the preparations, and everything's basically set. I just want to go away and see the sights."

"But…but why do you have to leave on such short notice?"

"I know, Twilight. I know you don't want me to go through with this, but this is what I want to do. I've always wanted to travel to places. I'd always dreamed of visiting places like Vanhoover or Baltimare, but I had no idea how back then. Now's my chance, Twilight – it's the only chance for me to fulfill a little dream that I'd had in my heart."

"H-How long are you going to be away?"

"About a year at most. Don't worry; I'll always write to you anyway."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow. I'm really sorry for not telling you two before," Spike says. "I didn't want you to worry."

"No, no, it's okay, Spike," Rarity reassures him. "We respect your decision, and we'll always be here waiting for you."

"Would you like us to help you pack?" Twilight offers.

"No need, Twi; I've already packed my bags myself."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Rarity asks.

"Well, you two were so caught up in your fighting that I didn't see a proper chance to tell you."

Later, up on the roof, Spike stands at the doorway, bags in hand, ready to leave for a year-long journey that will take him to places he had only read about in a book. A tear trickles down his eye as he recalls the two decades of his life that he had spent with Twilight. They were an inseparable pair until tonight, the night of their parting. It was a decision that would change his life forever. As a carriage approaches his house, he mutters his last goodbye, and enters the carriage. It speeds off into the distance…just as Twilight arrived at the scene with Rarity on her heels. They both managed to catch a silhouette of it disappearing into the moonlight, but one thing was for certain then – Spike had already left.


	7. Chapter 7 - Square One

**_Chapter Seven: Square One_**

And so, our little Spike has begun a brand-new journey – a journey that will take him to places he had never been to before. This journey has also been a life-changing decision, for he had now broken a bond that had long been inseparable. The memories of the friendship between a unicorn and a baby dragon were simply memories now; besides, Spike was a pony now.

_It was time to move on_, he thought to himself. With a sigh, he pays the fare and is dropped off at the heart of Equestria – Canterlot. It was only about sunrise, and the city was still quiet as it bathed in the light of Celestia's grace. He, however, was quite tired, for he hadn't slept at all in the trip. Trying to suppress his yawns, he checks in at an inn, and gets a couple of hours of rest.

At about 8 AM, Spike wakes up with a start and begins cleaning his room, oblivious to the fact that Twilight wasn't there with him. It was only about half an hour after that when he finally realized that he was totally alone. Without even a second thought, he walks to the castle in a trancelike state.

"Halt!" guards shout at him. "State your name!"

"I'm Spike, and I was hoping to have a word with the princess."

"Do you have a scheduled time today?"

"Umm…"

Just then, Celestia falls out of the sky and says, "At ease soldiers, this gentlecolt is an acquaintance of mine." The guards bow down in reply, and the gate is opened.

As the two walk through the castle gardens, Celestia breaks the silence. "Since when did you become a unicorn?" she chuckles.

"...About a few months," he replies. "It's a long story."

"Well, I do recall Twilight talking about this three months ago. I think I know all about it. Now, what brings you here, and why isn't Twilight with you?"

"I thought I'd leave town for a few months and clear some things off my head."

"Couldn't you simply change back and forget about everything?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated. So many things have happened that I don't think its reversible anymore." The princess wore a pensive face as she thought of his situation, then spoke.

"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with you, Spike," she sighs. "Some things truly are irreversible."

"Thank you for your time, Princess," Spike says, "but I'd best leave now."

"However," Celestia says, prompting Spike to turn back. "There is one way."

"What is it?" Spike asks curiously.

"Time," the princess says simply. "It is possible to reverse time."

"But wait, wasn't Filigree Flyer the only one who was able to control time?"

"Yes, as I'm sure you're aware, he spent most of his life perfecting the art of time manipulation. However, his spirit lives on in Equestria, and it is up to you to make the decision whether or not to seek him out. Spike, for me it is best that you play safe and not go after him," says Celestia.

"But why, Princess?"

"The path will be long, difficult, and dangerous. As he is a spirit, he is able to traverse great distances at a whim if he so chooses. Cornering him will be extremely difficult if not impossible. Of course, I can't stop you from doing what you choose to do.

Now, I must return to the castle. You are also free to roam the halls as you please. Just…don't break anything. If you so choose to begin this journey, come back to me; I may have a few things that you will need on your journey," she says before leaving for the castle. Spike continues to stand there, meditating on his decision. He then walks into the castle himself, heading for the royal library. Inside, he finds himself floating about a bunch of books as he rummages around for the history of an age-old civilization – namely, Chronos. His search, however, was interrupted when he heard hoofsteps behind him. He quickly drops the books and turns around, only to see Luna standing behind him. "P-P-Princess Luna! You scared me."

"Please, just call me Luna," replied the Alicorn. "I heard some noise from outside the library, and I thought I'd come and maybe help you. You look quite distraught, as well."

"Well, you see," Spike explains, "I've been looking into the history of Chronos – some age-old civilization that only a select few know about. I thought I'd find out where remnants of it might be found."

"That is quite a quest you have, Spike," remarks Luna. "I think I have just the book. Follow me." With that, Spike quickly puts away the books and walks by her.

"Is something the matter, Spike? You've been looking troubled since I came in."

"It's…it's just that…I've been feeling kinda lonely since I left Ponyville. I told Twilight I'd be going alone, but she didn't stop me. Looking back, I kinda regret leaving. Still, I couldn't keep myself from trying to fix this mess that I started."

"Do you mind if you elaborate?"

"No, not at all. It all started several months ago, about a week after Filigree's death. Twilight was going through some strange changes in her personality that I couldn't even begin to describe what happened to her. She would often just sit on her bed, looking about a window, as if she hadn't a care in the world. Twilight wouldn't even open a book anymore like she always does. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I thought that it had something to do with Filigree. I don't know…maybe she loved him that his passing broke her heart.

Anyway, I determined to fix this and maybe try to bring some color back into her life, so I thought I'd dress up as Filigree and maybe talk to her if I could. Of course, this would mean that I had to change into a pony – so I did. I traveled all over Ponyville collecting ingredients for a potion that Zecora was making for me, and it took me about two days. When I went through with the…er…operation, I found myself spending a night at the Carousel Boutique since Twilight could hardly recognize me when I came back.

The day after that, we had a picnic on a lake on the outskirts of town. We had a lot of fun watching Rainbow Dahs show off her moves like always, and Twilight was there, too. She underwent an even bigger change overnight – she was cheerier and finally, she was out in the sunshine again. However, I kinda felt something in her that I wasn't able to notice before. Twilight was…sad.

That night, I finally got to dress up as Filigree with Rarity's help, and when I finally came to the library, she avoided me. She ran off and I had to chase her down to the lake where I finally cornered her with a little circle of flame. I took off my costume and revealed myself to her. Things kinda got better after that. As it turned out, she was trying to let go of Filigree that day because she thought that I'd left because she wouldn't pay attention to me. We reconciled, and things turned back to normal for about twelve hours."

"What happened?" asks Luna, who had been drawn in to his story since words started jumping out of his mouth.

"Well, let's just say I somehow formed a love triangle. Twilight kinda had a crush on me, so she and Rarity constantly fought for me. I guess it was because I didn't want to change back since I turned into a pony. I tried my best to stop the fighting, but it was no use. They just wouldn't stop. It was then that I thought that maybe I could try to stop the fighting by taking away what they fought for in the first place – me. So I decided to leave Ponyville, alone. I also thought that this way, maybe I could try to fix the problems I had started by turning back time. So I wound up here in Canterlot."

"I see," Luna says. "I too find it strange that Twilight would have such mood shifts like these. Since my sister often talked about her studious demeanor and no-nonsense personality, this is simply too far out. But, pray tell, how do you try to fix everything?"

"I want to turn back time," Spike replies with a fiery determination.

"Very well," Luna says. "We've arrived." They stood in front of the throne room door, and she led the way. Spike bows down as they approach Celestia.

"Oh, Luna, you brought Spike. Is it time?" the princess asks.

"Yes, sister. It's time," she replies, turning to the unicorn.

"Arise, sir Spike," Celestia declares as a door opens in front of him. "Beyond this door lies the answers you seek. This is the first step in your quest to find Filigree Flyer."

"Good luck, Spike; we're counting on you," Luna smiles warmly. Spike turns to face the door, and steps in. The door closes behind him, and he is thrust into a new realm.

In this realm he finds himself in a sort of dungeon room with many forms of weapons. At first he tries a large, strong suit of steel armor, but the weight was too cumbersome for him. Putting it back in its place, he finds a simple black hooded robe, and dons it. Suddenly, the robe is secured by a magical gem that glowed a deep emerald. He then picks out a rather peculiar weapon – a double-ended spear. A steel gate then opens behind him, and he enters it to find that he was thrown in a coliseum, in front of hundreds of ethereal figures. A strange beast enters the arena with him, which turns out to be a vicious Cerberus.

"H-how am I supposed to beat something like that?!" Spike quails in fright. Overcoming his fears for a moment, he rushes into the fray. The beasts' three heads constantly bite and snarl at him while he finds him running circles around him. As he runs faster and faster, he literally blazes his trail and leave a circle of fire around him. Much to his surprise, the Cerberus had a fear of fire, and Spike charges at the dog, spear first. His opponent is injured at the leg, and courage wells up in him as Spike continues to dominate the enemy. Finally, he leaps into the air, his fire magic propelling him further, and delivers the killing blow. However, for that moment he forgets that a Cerberus has three heads and not just one, and he finds himself running for his life as the two more heads become enraged and give chase. During the chase, he trips, splitting his spear in two. Finding them actually useful, he pierces the front legs of the monster and sends it down onto the floor. He stands up, somehow emerging victorious.

Much to his relief, the coliseum door opens, and he runs out…only to find himself bearing witness to a ruined city. Quickly, he tries to find shelter as a storm brews overhead. He finds a house that didn't seem to be crumbling down. Sitting down on the stone floor, he tries to mend his spear, but it mends itself instantly when he tries to put them together. After fixing it, he tries to pull it apart to see if it really has fixed, but it comes off smoothly and easily. When he puts it back, it repairs itself again.

_This…this is quite a discovery,_ Spike thinks to himself. _Still, with me being placed in Celestia-knows-where, I guess magic is rampant around here. If this is what I'll have to face in my quest, then so be it. Besides, I still have a year before Twilight starts expecting me at home. This is for you, Twi; I'm going to fix all this. I promise._

* * *

_Meanwhile, back in Canterlot…_

"Spike, where are you?" Twilight mutters as she roams the halls of the castle. As it turned out, she knew of his whereabouts and went there looking for information. She had scoured the entire city looking for him, but to no avail. To her, it was about time that she paid a visit to one of the Sacred Sisters.

"Oh? Twilight, what brings you here?" Celestia asks.

"Princess, with all due respect, I would like to inquire of the whereabouts of Spike, my b– er, assistant. I believe he had arrived here earlier this morning."

"Spike?" Celestia asks. "I'm afraid I have no knowledge of his whereabouts, Twilight. I do not recall him entering the castle anytime today," she lies.

"But princess, I just had a talk with Luna. She said about him going somewhere really far away."

"Is that so? Well, I must not have heard of it, Twilight."

"Princess…I beg you, please don't lie to me," Twilight says with a broken voice, kneeling down onto the floor. "I need to find him. Please help me."

The princess dons a serious face as she looks at her. She glances at the door to see Luna entering the room. "Celestia, please. You have to let her know."

"About what? You want me to tell her that Spike probably died fighting a Cerberus in the arena?"

"A Cerberus?!" Twilight shrieks.

"Twilight, please. This wasn't supposed to be the right time to tell you," Celestia says. "I would've told you anyway."

"But by then, Spike would most likely have died, you _sadist_!" Luna yells.

"He…what? Princess, what's going on?" Twilight was both shocked and confused as she tried to grasp the topic at hand.

"I will not account for this type of behavior, Luna. I've always known you were the rebellious type. This is what you're trying to do, isn't it?"

"No, it's not, sister. Twilight needs to know the truth."

"It isn't the right time, Luna. However, since my faithful student so desires this knowledge, I shall grant her request." A light emanates from Celestia's horn, and it shoots into Twilight's temple. At that moment, a glimpse of the past is revealed to her.

"But Spike…why would you do this?" she says as she hangs her head.

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but I'm afraid that is all I know," Celestia says sympathetically. "The only pony who is able to tell you this reason is the pony who did it himself. Seeking him out is far too dangerous, Twilight; I fear for your safety."

"But why didn't you stop him?" she says, looking up at the princess.

"We thought it best to give him a…'head start,' or so it is called," Luna said behind her. "We didn't stop him because there was no reason for us to stop him. He was determined to fulfill his quest, so we brought him to a starting point."

"And that starting point is in…?"

"A ruined city, or so the vision disclosed. We have no knowledge of its history, I'm afraid. I'm really sorry, Twilight," Luna says.

Twilight glances at both princesses, and walks away. Her search had screeched to a halt, but she had acquired valuable information. She had much to look up on, and she heads home to formulate a new plan. She was going to find him, no matter what the cost.

Inside her inn room, Twilight tries to gather up her facts and hopefully gain a step towards the search of her assistant. "The princesses recently told her that Spike was sent to a ruined city, someplace far, far away," Twilight says to herself. "They don't know anything about its history, so that means it preceded them for some time. Wait…could it be…Chronos?"

She grabs her bag and rummages for her book. "'Chronos was built during a whole millennia before the founding of Equestria, on a vast land beyond the Frozen North. Nopony was able to cross the dangers of that area, therefore successfully secluding the kingdom from the rest of civilization.' But why would the princesses send him to Chronos? Is he looking for something there? Or maybe…some_one_?"


	8. Chapter 8 - Timer StartsNow

**Chapter Eight: Timer Starts…Now**

* * *

Meanwhile, Spike finds himself on the run after a pack of wolves spotted him. He had his back to a tree and had cuts and scrapes all over. Spike was in big trouble, that was for sure – but he knew that this was only the tip of the iceberg.

Suddenly, he felt his stomach rumble strangely, and he belches a letter bound with the princess' seal, along with an ink and quill. It reads:

_"Dear Spike,_

_ Wherever you are, I hope you are reading this. I've been looking for you all over Canterlot, but you were nowhere to be found. I'm really, really sorry for the chain reaction that was set off that led you into this; I never expected this to happen, either. Spike, please come back to me. You're the family I never had, and without you, the little 'family' I have in Ponyville will never feel complete anymore._

_ Since you left, Rarity and I reconciled, and she forgot about the things that happened the past weeks thanks to a little memory spell I found in a particular book. If only I'd found this sooner, this wouldn't have happened, and everything would've gone back to normal. I'm really sorry, Spike._

_ Also, I want to tell you something that I probably should have in a long, long time. Still, I'm unsure if I could tell it to you through this letter; it's a matter that I want to talk with you, personally. But since you're gone and in some place I'll never be able to know, that might not happen. I'm doing my absolute best to come and find you, and I hope you're doing likewise. I'll write soon, but I don't know how you'll even be able to read it when you're so far away…nevertheless, I sent some ink and a quill with the letter, which I hope you received._

_I guess this is where I stop for now, because I'm still digging out more dirt to find you._

_Love,_

_Twilight Sparkle"_

* * *

Immediately reading the date on the letter, Spike finds that it was only sent earlier that same day. He immediately sets about to find a safe place to hide. Tying the quill to an end of his spear, and placing the ink in his satchel, he runs away again…only to find himself falling and rolling down a hill. Along the way, rocks, mud, and shrubs greeted him before he finally lands at its base. His few mere hours of escape felt like days, and he thought life would only be worse from this point. However, upon seeing a small cave, his fire of determination was re-lit and he regained enough strength to enter it. Lighting his spear, he briefly scans for any drop-offs, and finds none. It was totally empty. Using the last of his strength, he props himself up against a wall of the cave and writes a letter…

* * *

_"Dear Twilight,_

_ I hope you get to read this message, because I somehow managed to get yours. I'm really sorry for leaving you back there in Ponyville without much of a reason – I did it so that I could protect you. But now that you've reached me and broke off the wall, I think it's about time I give you a wrecking ball._

_ I'm sure you remember about Filigree Flyer, the only pony in all of Equestria to ever master time manipulation. Well, I'm looking for him. As we both have witnessed, Filigree died, bringing his parents with him. However, according to Princess Luna, his spirit still remains in this world. I still have no idea where I've been sent, though I have a hunch that it could be the lost city of Chronos. I recall you talking about it once, and I even saw a replica of an old banner that you drew on the chalkboard. I saw a similar-looking banner, but I still couldn't tell whether or not it really is Chronos. I'll try to find out when the light of day comes._

_ But please, Twilight, don't come for me. I don't know what I'll do if I finally find my way home and not be able to see you there. However, _if_ you really want to do something to help a pony 500 miles away from you, I think I may have an idea._

_ The princesses have been exhibiting strange behavior during my time there. They somehow sent me here hurriedly, as if they're hiding something. I've been having doubts about looking further into this, though, seeing as they're basically gods. Luna, on the other hand, is quite willing to tell you more details – at least, that's what she did to me, too. However, she's rather reluctant to say it as her older sister is strictly imperative at keeping the jar shut. My plan is to break the jar indefinitely and forget about the cover. They may be trying to keep it tight, but if they go too tight, the jar cracks, and something useful might slip out. I'm doing my best to get back to Canterlot and finally uncover the meaning of all this…after all, I was the one who started it in the first place._

_ Still, before I end this letter, I just want to apologize for not telling you about this sooner. I thought that by holding back the details until the deal is done, nopony might be able to find out. Sadly, it all came down to this. I still don't know if I could survive and make my way back, but if I do, I fear the worst."_

* * *

Spike ends his letter abruptly, seeing as he had already run out of paper, and burns it with his spear. The flames carry its ashes off into the air, much like how he used to so long ago. Trying to reassure himself of his safety, he closes his eyes and drifts to sleep.

Suddenly Spike awakens to the howls of a fresh breeze blowing into the cave. Light had already poured through the land, and he breathes a sigh of relief. However, a chill goes up his spine the moment he finds out that there was a large creature behind him. In an instant, he scrambles out the cave and lights its entrance with fire, effectively trapping the shadowy beast inside. Stumbling out of the cave, he looks back to see a bear roaring in anger and withdrawing back into the cave. "I never should've gone in there," sighs Spike, before going on his way again. This time, he heads back into the ruins to hopefully find clues as to where he is. If he was in Chronos, then travelling south would be the easiest way to get home.

About an hour and three miles later, he approaches the entrance to the city. A pack of wolves were there to 'welcome' him, as he had expected. "So, you've returned, fool," snarls the alpha. "No matter. Your death will be swift and painless." With a wave of his hand, he sends three of his wolves charging at Spike, to which he deftly rockets into the air. He focuses his magical energy into his spear and slams it back into the ground as he lands, sending a wave of fire all around him. The three wolves panic comically as their fur catches on fire. The alpha winces slightly, but quickly shakes it off by sending more wolves. The new wave surrounds Spike as they run in circles around him, proving that they were smarter than the last. The pony only smirks, however, and blasts the circle with fire again, only to find that they either didn't mind or didn't notice the flame on their fur. Nevertheless, he had another plan. Spike crouches down, and quickly slides his spear under the feet of the surrounding wolves. The resulting crash left him victorious.

Finally, the alpha was irritated and he walked forward. Spike musters up some courage and walks toward his opponent. In a scene reminiscent of a Wild-West gun-slinging duel, dead silence loomed over the small field. Then, in a moment, the contenders charge…

During those moments, time seemed to slow down as Spike runs headlong into his opponent in a battle that may cost him his life. He thrusts his spear into his opponent's stomach, and throws him over his head with the momentum of the alpha wolf. However, the massive build of the wolf allowed him to claw at his attacker, and he successfully left a deep gash on Spike's face before being slammed to the ground. Blood trickled down his face as he sheathes his spear. He dons his hood, and walks into the city. The other wolves gave way to him, some of them timidly drawing back. One of them was somewhat bent on avenging his fallen leader, and stood in front of him. Spike stops, and with his head still hung low, he points his spear at the aggressor. The wolf continues to hold his ground.

"Do not fear, wolf," mutters Spike, "for your death will be swift." Then, Spike walks through the wolf like a spectre walking through a wall and leaves a cleanly beheaded body behind. He walks onward, his segmented spear trailing droplets of blood from each blade. The other wolves watch astonished. Looking at each other, they proceeded to head home. With the wolves now gone, Spike continues onward to the looming, intact spires of the Chronosian Citadel. The smooth gray bricks that held up the structure have been invaded by vines and creepers, and is surrounded with foliage after the many long years of their growth. Somehow, the structure remained largely intact, though there were occasional cave-ins and a fallen tower. Nevertheless, it seemed still functional and quite sturdy, though its final purpose was but to serve as a testament to Chronos' strength in its age.

With so many of the rooms left rather unscathed, there was much to explore. Soon enough, Spike happens upon the royal library at the base of the citadel's tallest tower. It was a massive hall, with equally massive bookshelves that partition about a dozen aisles. After all, it _was_ a really old castle library. Surprisingly, the shelves had ladders to allow access to the books unreachable by any normal pony. It was quite evident that Chronos was indeed a peaceful place, as earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns read the books in this library under the same roof. On a large wall, there was a map of the surrounding areas. However, it was so outdated that many of Equestria's cities hadn't existed yet. The books were extremely dusty and aged, and the signs were worn and hardly readable, so there was a lot of ground to cover. Spike then pulled down all of the books on the shelves, sending dust flying about everywhere. After a couple minutes of coughing, the dust finally cleared out, and Spike set to work.

After several minutes of reading and sorting through all the books, Spike then found himself stumped. "I could hardly read any of these books!" he complained, throwing down a book. Suddenly, a sparkle lit in his eye as he found a bright – and rather dusty – emerald set in the middle of a book's cover. He immediately grabbed it, and examined the title engraved in the leather. "_A Handbook to Magic,_by A. C. Tieles."

"This must be useful," Spike said to himself, before opening the book. However, he finds nothing but pages upon pages of illegible glyphs surrounding a diamond-shaped hole. The size of the hole grew until it reached its largest at the center, which looked to have housed a gem. After a couple minutes, Spike decided to take the gem out of the brooch of his robe and placed it inside the book, and alas – it fit perfectly. He closes the book, and surprises himself as the book lets out a loud pop. Opening it again, he finds the glyphs now glowing. The gem in his brooch had now been split in half, and each emitted a beam that converged together when he laid it flat upon the ground. Now sitting on the ground, he witnesses a message from Princess Luna.

"Congratulations, Spike. You've made it this far in your journey,' she says.

"Princess! What's going on? Where did you send me?" Spike has a lot of questions, and all of them jumped out of his mouth one after the other.

"Slow down, Spike. One at a time, please. But before that, I have some things to ask you. Did you gather up any information on Filigree yet?"

"No, sadly."

"Well, that's because Celestia hid it all in the castle library."

"What?! Why would she hide it there?"

"Forgive me for my sister. She…has her way of putting things into action. However, she lied to you. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner."

"Lied? About what?"

"About Filigree's spirit still being in Equestria."

"But…but why?"

"That, I have yet to find out. Nevertheless, I suggest you return to Canterlot at once. Twilight had come to me to help find you, and her patience is waning."

"Princess, could you do me a favor and please ask Twily to wait? After seeing what I've seen, I think I might be able to find something here."

The princess thought about it for a moment, then spoke. "Very well, have it your way. But remember: this one's on you. However, may I ask, what _did _you witness in your travels?"

"Well, it isn't much, but since I stepped into this realm, I've seen things that weren't meant for mere mortals' eyes. I've battled a Cerberus in a coliseum filled with ethereal figures serving as its audience. Then, I met a pack of wolves face-to-face. It seems quite normal at first, but these wolves were something else. They were...I don't know...sentient. Their minds were capable of thinking like we do. They were like the Diamond Dogs.

But from what I said just earlier, they don't add up. I have a hunch that more of these...these anomalies...there will be more. I have to try and seek out its source."

"But Spike, it's pointless," argued Luna. "From my knowledge, anomalies like this only occur due to...rifts in space-time," she muttered, coming to a realization. "Spike, you might as well be right in your hypothesis. If you could seek out these rifts, you might be able to find another clue that will lead you to Filigree. But never forget to consider the possibility that you might probably be making a fruitless trip."

"I know," Spike sighed, "but it's a risk I'm willing to take."

"But what if you die? I cannot let that happen to you. Think about Twilight. If she loses you, the grief she will continue to live with will be the only thing she will carry to the grave. It will be unfathomable, Spike.

I am indebted to Twilight, as well. After she pulled me from my hate and despair, I've been doing all I can to aid her, for it is the least I could do to try and repay her. Twilight wants you to return, Spike, and I have the power to do so. If she knows of this, she will want me to do so, and neither you nor I could stop that.

All I'm trying to say is, it's best that you return home while you still can. Know that I will not be able to rescue you from your predicament should you find yourself on the run – it is simply beyond my capabilities. And if something happens..." Luna's voice trailed off as her mind was clouded with worry.

"Princess, I'll be fine. Just…give me a few days, maybe a week. I'll dig up as much information as I can, and then by the end of the week, I'll come back."

"Very well. Promise Twilight you'll come back in one piece," she finally said. She wishes him luck, and he gems darken. His countdown timer had begun. Closing the book, he lays it on a table and turns to the mountain of books that he had made. There was a lot to go through, and he would have to go through it and more in seven days. Luckily, the castle proved to be a safe haven for him that night, and he breathes a sigh of relief as he sleeps in peace under the light of a campfire.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Seven Days

Chapter Nine: The Seven Days 

* * *

The next day, Spike wakes up with a start, his mind urging him to begin. There is much to do, but also not much to do. Finding a stream nearby, Spike washes his face and goes back into the castle library. He faces the mountain of books that lay before him, and stares at it for a short while. Only minutes later, Spike conjures a flame and flings it onto the pile, sending the books into flames. He rolls up his makeshift bedding, a wolf pelt skinned from the massive alpha wolf from the day earlier, and packs all his belongings inside. He hadn't much to live by, but he felt that it was adequate.

Determined to stay in the castle no longer, he scours every inch for anything of any value. At one point he stumbles upon a secret passageway under the throne that led to an underground cave system. It definitely looks like something worth exploring. Entering the hole in the ground directly under the undoubtedly heavy throne, Spike descends down the ladder. On the way, however, he takes a step down only to find that there wasn't any ladder left. He tries his best to slow his fall by pressing against the walls of the tunnel, but to no avail. It's quite a long fall, and fear consumed him as adrenaline rushed through his veins.

Spike witnesses his life flashing in front of him, and memories swirling around in his head. In what he thought would be his final moments, he thinks of the ponies that he had considered his family – Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and of course, Twilight. He looks up, and finds the light from above quickly fade, and finds a new light down below. Accepting his fate, he closes his eyes…

* * *

He reaches the bottom of the pit, which turned out to be a pool. Thinking himself to be dead, he wondered where he was. Suddenly he realizes that he could breathe and had almost run out of air.  
Reaching land, Spike observes his surroundings while he squeezes out the water from his shirt and cloak. The caverns about him is abundant with glowing mushrooms – the kind that he also encountered in the cavern in which the Mirror Pond had resided. It seems strange, because it looks very much like the Mirror Pond…unless it _is_ the Mirror Pond.

Spike tries to disprove his hypothesis by telling himself that the place was flooded full. However, after quite a long time, the ground will have been able to absorb most if not all of the water. He tries to reassure himself that he was still in Chronos, but after attempting to find the hole in which he entered, he found it to be gone.

"No, no, no! This can't be happening!" he rants, pacing the ground. "Why would Luna do this to me? I thought she promised to return me after seven days. The first day hasn't even passed yet! And why do I recognize that smell…?"

Turning around, he sees Twilight, surrounded by a strange aura. Spike does his best to conceal himself from her, having seemingly failed his quest, but to no avail. "Magic is of no use here," Twilight says, as she walks closer to Spike. Suddenly, she shrieks briefly, and begins to fade away.

Immediately noticing her plight, he sees the cavern crumbling down around them. In a desperate attempt to save Twilight, Spike tries to cover her under him. However, Twilight interrupts him, reassuring him that everything will be alright. "I have to go now, Spike…but I'll see you again soon," she says as she ultimately fades away with the cave. Finally, it all turns out to be a dream, as Spike awakens in the secret passageways. Upon witnessing the hallucination, Spike thinks Twilight may be in trouble. Immediately he opens his book and summons Luna.

"Changing your mind already? That was unexpected," she remarks aloud.

"Luna, there's no time to explain. Twilight might be in danger."

"What? But she's right here with me, going over some books."

"She…she is? But I was hallucinating–"

"Hallucinating?!" she shrieks, standing up. However, as she was talking through telepathy, nopony was able to hear her. However, Twilight notices her sudden gesture and asks her if anything was wrong. "No, I'm fine, it's just…I thought I saw a bug over there. I must be seeing things," she replies.

"Is…is that Twilight?" asks Spike.

"Yes, it's her. Nothing's wrong, see?"

Then all of a sudden, Spike screams in pain. He was hallucinating again, and he sees things that aren't meant to be seen by mortal eyes. Screams were ringing in his head, and time seemed to stop as he tries to shake it off. His head was throbbing with pain, and his vision began to blur. It was no surprise then, that the air of Barker's Bog was notorious for being intoxicating and, to some extent, fatal.

* * *

Later, Spike awakens. He hasn't an idea where he is, or how he is. He feels no pain at all, but he could barely move. His vision seems perfectly clear, yet his surroundings are hazy and foggy. Everything contradicts each other here, and there was no doubt about that. Soon enough he finds everything moving around him, like he was caught in something – a tornado, perhaps. But something wasn't right. Lights were heading upward, and he seemed to be moving downward…as if he was falling down into an endless pit.

With an overwhelming fear of dying at any second, Spike hurries to free himself of the shackles that revealed themselves to him. He falls and falls, not seeming to stop. Eventually, he frees himself, and subsequently lands flat on the ground. You wouldn't want to think him dead, would you? I mean, if he is, this story would come to an abrupt end, and that's not good at all. Now, our hero Spike here doesn't seem to be waking up anytime soon, so in the meantime, let's take a look at our story from a different perspective.

"He **what?!**" yells Twilight in a fit of rage, shaking Luna like a filly would a gift box. Somehow, she finds out about his true whereabouts, and it was only a matter of time before Luna finds her back to the wall and surrenders. Twilight pushes her down on the ground, and paces the floor nervously. But now, they're already too late; there doesn't seem to be any way to get to Spike – at least, in my opinion.

"Look, Twilight, I'm sorry I dragged you into this. Spike and I agreed to not let you know. He planned on returning home as soon as he can, but something wasn't right. My sister somehow got involved in this. It was as if she was waiting for this to happen. She hastily sent him off to Faust-knows-where – and without much of a warning, either. Not only that, she also took all of the scrolls relating to Chronos and its vast history. My guess is that there is something in or about Chronos that she is looking for, and she sent Spike to do it."

"But wait, didn't you already tell me that your sister – er, I mean, Princess Celestia – hadn't told him anything of her intentions when she sent him off?" Twilight asks.

"Well, that's true, but I think she might have told him _before_ she sent him off. Knowing her, she would normally say things very vaguely. But there's more. My sister has also been acting really strangely since the incident. She is easily surprised, and often locks herself in her chamber during her free time, as if she's hiding something.

However, if we try to confront her, we will probably be making a fruitless trip. That, and I might be banished to the moon for another millennium, coming back when today's language is obsolete…again," Luna sighs.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't happen anytime soon. But considering the information we have on hoof, we might as well do something crazy and lift us up off of our flanks."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," Twilight says shyly, "what about you?"

"I have a feeling we're thinking the same thing, Twilight Sparkle," Luna replies with a smile. "Come on, let's pack our bags; we have a dragon-pony-thing to save."

* * *

The skies are pitch black. Canterlot Castle is undeniably quiet. The princesses walk into the throne room. "It's time," Luna mutters, glancing at the moon. She conjures a spell, and a door materializes in front of them. "This portal will close in seven days. If we cannot make it, it will be impossible to cast the spell until the next full moon. We must hurry to rescue Spike, wherever he may be," she instructs. "Are you ready?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," replied Twilight. The portal opens, and they stare at it for a moment. They take a deep breath, and step in. The moment they disappear into the portal, it implodes, never to be seen again. Then, as quickly as they entered, they exited the portal, and arrived in Chronos.

Just like Spike, they find themselves in a room full of weapons and armor. Twilight tries in vain to wield each of the weapons, first the spear, then a broadsword, then many other weapons until she fiddled around with a bow. Luckily, she knew how to use a bow with the help of an archery book in her library. All the while, Luna had already picked out a fine set of handmade leather armor, which was both light and sturdy – perfect for the art of swordplay. Sheathing a long, slim blade, Luna was quite ready for the adventure that awaited them. All of a sudden a door opens, and they wrap up and enter it. What do they see? Nothing but beautiful nature.

They exit the coliseum to find themselves on a hill, overlooking vast plains bordering a forested area to the east. A freshwater stream flows from a river not far off, bringing fresh, cool, crystal-clear water to the two adventurers. As they trudge down the hill, they pass through beautiful fields of vibrantly colored flowers. Quite a magical sight, that's for sure.

Soon enough, they find a camp in a cave. Embers continue to burn in the fire, which is evident of someone or something still living there. A bearskin is laid out on a corner, which seems to be used as a sort of bed. A massive sword is also propped nearby, which turns out to be a large-bladed spear split in half and bound together at the handle. Immediately they have a feeling they shouldn't be there…

As they were relaxing in the cave, they see a figure approaching. They instantly dart off into the back wall of the cave, trying to conceal themselves. The silhouette let out a grunt and a sigh as it flops down a wild deer onto the floor of the cave. It seems the figure came back from a hunting trip and is now savoring the fruits of his labor. After skinning and dressing his catch, he takes a deep breath and blows out a stream of fire onto the burnt out campfire, starting it again for cooking. The two mares bear witness to the warmth of the campfire, the coziness of the bearskin mat, and most of all, the aroma of the simmering deer meat. The tempting sight is hard to resist, and they try to move closer to it, until…

*SNAP*

…A branch cracked from under Luna's hoof. The figure notices the sound and instantly disappears. Thinking the figure to be gone, they make a break for the exit, but found themselves unable to move just seconds away from going out. Then, the figure appears behind Luna and whispers, "Why are you leaving so soon?"

With a blinding reflex, she grabs her sword and slashes at the figure, only to find it creeping up behind her instead. Twilight tries to hit him with her bow, but fails. Soon enough the mares resort to using magic and conjure a powerful spell, but the figure simply stands in front of them, smirking. "You **do** know that you are no longer in Equestria," he says. "Why resort to magic then?" They pay no heed to his word, and fire. However powerful the spell may have been, it is of no use. Suddenly he moves in to strike, and knocks them unconscious with the blunt end of his sword.

As Twilight comes to, she finds herself bound to a sword stuck in the ground. Luna suffers the same fate beside her. The shadowy figure now approaches her and greets her kindly. With a quick swipe, he cuts off the ropes that bound his prisoners and invites them over to the campfire. The figure sets down carved bowls filled with deer stew, and hands them spoons. "Come on, you should eat. You look paler than last time."

"Have…have we met before?" asks Twilight, surprised.

"Maybe we did, maybe we didn't. Only Faust knows," he replies. His large hood shadows his face quite well, preventing anypony from ever seeing it. Twilight tries to peer into the hood, but to no avail. All the while Luna keeps silent, with a pensive look on her face. It's as if she knew what would happen…nevertheless they continue eating their stew, with Twilight evidently enjoying it. The figure wears a smile on his face, but the hood was too large for anypony to see it.

Later, the mares attempt to sneak out of the cave, but they are stopped by the figure appearing right in front of them. "Look, I don't know if I'm doing this against your will, but I can't let you leave. At least, not yet."

With the expressions on their faces obviously asking why, he continued. "It's already nighttime. I know it may still be a little too early, but I've been living in this hellhole for five years. You've got to trust me on this – this place is a hellhole to the un-hardened." Nevertheless, they pay no heed to his word, and leave anyway. Before they left, however, the figure said, "Goodbye, Twilight."

Twilight stops as he says her name. She turns back, and finds him already gone. She hesitates for a moment, and calls him out. "How do you know my name?" she asks.

"Well," the figure says, appearing under a nearby tree to her right, "that name means a lot to me. I don't think you understand, though."

"Have we met before?"

"We have. When I came into this world, fifteen years ago, you were the first person I ever saw," he says, standing up and slowly approaching her. "Yours was the first name I ever learned besides mine, you were the reason I'm standing today; and most of all, you were the first pony I ever loved." He takes one step and meets her face to face. He kept silent, but his shadowed face showed a tear trickling down his cheek. Twilight looks deep into the shadows of his hood, now barely able to see the bright emerald hue of his eyes. Hesitating for a moment, she slowly draws back the hood…

"Twilight!"

She quickly glances towards the source of the voice, which was Luna calling out to her. "Are we going or not?" she asks. Twilight turns back to the hooded figure, only to find him disappearing. The sun finally sets below the horizon, and darkness begins to conquer the sky.

"Uhh, Luna, can I ask you something?" Twilight reluctantly asks.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Can we stay the night at the hermit's cave? Just for the night?"

Luna thinks about it for a moment, then says, "Look, I don't know who he is or what he will do to us. But what I do know is what he _can_ do to us. It's unsafe to stay with him."

"But…but I think _I_ know him."

"You do? How so?"

"He told me something…about me. He knew things only four people other than myself know – my parents, Celestia, and Spike. He told me things that I never even knew about, and…I saw his eyes."

"You what?"

"I saw them, Luna. They had a steely green hue that really pierced into my eyes. They were like emeralds with the sheen of a diamond. Those eyes were the kind of eyes that I've seen in only one dragon. It _has_ to be him, Luna. I'm sure of it."

"…Very well," Luna sighs. "We will stay in his cave for the night. But you too must be vigilant. There's no wondering what he might do to you." With a smile on her face, Twilight thanks her, and they head back to the cave.

* * *

"What are _you_ doing here?" The hermit flares, the light of the campfire burning brighter. The light made his eyes easily seen, and they were evidently staring at Luna.

"Please, sir," Twilight explains with a sweet, innocent voice, "will you allow us to stay the night here? We have no idea where to go from this point, and we really need to stay somewhere safe."

"Sure, sure, stay as long as you like," he says, the flames lessening in intensity. Twilight sits at the campfire opposite the hermit, while Luna sits in a corner, blade in hand.

"I hate to put this bluntly," Twilight says reluctantly, "but I'm really sorry I followed you, Spike." The hermit's eyes dilate as he freezes in surprise. "I know, you didn't want me to follow you because it was dangerous. But somehow I knew I'd find you, like I always do. Whether you admit it or not, I already know who you really are." Twilight moves closer to the hermit, her eyes fixated upon his. They stare into each other's eyes, and Twilight tries to draw back his hood again, but he grabs her arm before she could.

"If you really _do_ know me," he said, "what's the point of taking back this hood?"

"Just…just let me see. It's been weeks since I last saw you, and all I want right now is to just see your face again."

"This face is not meant for mortal eyes, Twilight Sparkle. I am but a mere wandering soul, trapped in a rotten husk of skin and bone. There is nothing left for you to see," he warns. Stubborn as a mule, Twilight pays no heed to his word yet again, and draws back his hood. There, his facial features were revealed. His purple scales, which used to be of a vivid lavender mixed with purple, were now dull and drab. The spikes on his head were sharper, much sharper – but the color, too, had been sucked out of life. His eyes, however, were of a piercing emerald green, with dragon pupils that stare deep into one's soul. He had a scar on his right eye, most likely the same one that he suffered from the encounter with the wolves. Spike looked very much changed, that he was.

But there was more. He was not a pony like when she last saw him. Spike had somehow mutated into a dragon. As Twilight continues observing his facial features, Spike glances at Luna, whose blade was gleaming faintly of an amber hue, lit by the campfire that mediated them both. She keeps her guard up and constantly glares at Spike, who didn't seem to mind. There were seven more days left before the portal opens again, and as the three lay down to sleep by the soothing glow of the campfire, Twilight has a feeling that the coming seven days won't be a peaceful one.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I have to say this chapter ended rather abruptly. Still, I think this is about right, and I might begin a new chapter by the end of the week. However, I think I could add a little "hiatus," if you will, to this story and pick up from where we left off in the next chapter. I think that I might want to let go of this ever-twisting storyline and try something new for a while before coming back. Of course, I'll be working on the next chapter from time to time, but for now I will try to focus my energy on making fresh stories.

I hope you understand, and in the famous words of Rucks, "I'll see you in the next one."


End file.
